Used to have an Italian neighbor and we talked about exactly this - about how in Italy you'd just invite folks you encounter in for dinner regardless of whateve

Used to have an Italian neighbor and we talked about exactly this - about how in Italy you'd just invite folks you encounter in for dinner regardless of whatever one-dish thing your family was having at that time, whereas here in America you'd never dream of inviting people in for dinner without some souped-up lavish planned meal